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2 THE BRADYS AND JOCKEY JOE.
“If you are wise ” .
“Yes, I know!” said Blew, snapping hisdingers.
fool, and I’in an easy man to do business with.
Bill, is there anything in it for me?”
“Well,” said Chardon. in a constrained voice, "we need a
man. If you are diszreet-v-” I '
“Discreet! Aye, as an Egyptian Eumnlily. dNothing Jars
me. Ring me in Bill. I don’t care ow ar the game is.
We’ll woik it together.”
“Put it there!”
They shook hands.
Then Chardon whispered: .
“I-‘.’s a big game. There’s a pretty girl, a round million
““5‘oi2i “i%‘2!i‘.i..‘.’:i ‘.i‘.ff.l‘E’%%”‘
“I’m no
Now tell me,
‘(Yes-I7
“I see. He owned the Hermit, Butterfly and The Bells.
Thzi-ee of the cracks. One of them runs in the big stake
to- ay.” -
“Just so.”
“But who is the possessor of Belden’s great estate now?”
“l)on’t you know? His daughter Julia, as beautiful and
smart a young miss as the sun ever shone on. She will be
at the track to-day. She is smart and knows how to run
the stable, all right. Now Jockey Joe did ride for Belden.”
“I see.
“He has been discharged, though, and he is very sore.
The suspicion has been that he may have killed Belden for
revenge. But Jake Smith is the strong hand in the game.”
“Memphis Jake?”
“Just so!"
“Whew! He is a gambler, shark and all around crook.
What is his game?”
“In some way he got the sympathy of old Belden and be-’
caineliis stable manager. Now the game is this: Memphis,
who is a smooth fellow and handsome ”
“As an Apollo!”
“Yes. Well, he is in love with the girl, and he hopes to
get her. But there has been an obstacle in the way.”
“Ah! What’s that?”
“Manly Strong, the son of old Colonel Strorig, who in his
day was the girl’s coiifidence and her affections. Memphis
has got to dispose of him.”
Blew lit a cigar.
“I see," he said quietly. “It's very easy to understand.
But what’s the matter with Jockey Joe?”
Chardon shrugged his shoulders.
“He’s watched like a weasel. It won’t do for him to try
the game.”
“And the result ”
“You can guess.”
“Well, you’re the best man they could find, Bill.
how are you going to do it?”
“Do what?” '
“Oh, I don’t intend to kill him. That’s not the game yet.”
“The deuce! What is the game?”
“It’s all fixed. F'Ie.has a locker at the Meinbers’ Clubroom.
Suppose that incriminating letters and other evidence was
gound there. He would be easily indicted for Belden’s mur-
er.
“The motive would be clear.
But
He would surely be con-
. If he even got clear he is disgraced and ruined for
life. and Julia Belden would never marry the man suspected
of having murdered her father.”
‘Blew iiodded comprehensively.
I Memphis is a good sehemer,” he said. “That was always
his stronghold. But what do you want of me?”
“You have a good appearance. Memphis will give you his
card of admittance. You will go to the clubroom and place
the evidence in the locker at the right opportunity.”
“But you ”
Oh, I couldn't do it. They know me too well.
W0"<lS, I'm not In your class.”
“I see!” said Blew, unetiously.
But-e-”
“What?”
“The bargain? What’s in it?”
Chardon was silent a moment.
“If it's worked all right,” he said. “and Memphis wins
out he has promised me ten thousand dollars.”
“And I’!
“Pm "0 hos! You shall have half of it.”
“It's a bargain!”
“Shake!”
In other
“I like the job all right.
O
The two scoundrels gripped hands again-
The boat had now reached its dock, and the crowd rushed
for the cars.
Blew and Chardon boarded a forward car. They ha:
barely taken their seats when a man, flashlly dressed, 53
down in front of them.
Chardon gave a start.
“Hello, Memphis!” he said.
The flashy man turned, and exclaimed:
“Hello, Bill! You’re just the man I want to see."
“Good! I can say the same!”
Memphis stared at Blew.
“Pardon me!” Said Chardon.
Chauncey Blew."
Memphis’ face lit up. .
“Oh, he is the friend you spoke to me about.”
“Yes.”
“Good! I am glad to know you, Mr. Blew.”
“This is my friend Mr.
“The same to you, Mr. Smith. .
Then the three began a lov.'-toned conversation.
to be upon a very earnest topic.
All this while behind them sat two men we were watch-
ing them closely.
These were the famous detectives. the Bradys. One was
an old man, dressed in a tight fitting blue frock coat, and
wearing a wide-brimined hat.
The other was a fine looking youth. Though of the same
name, they were of no blood relation.
But they were partners in every sense of the word, and
many a case of crime have they successfully solved.
The Bradys watched the three men with the deepest of
interest.
It seemed
CHAPTER II.
AT rm: RACETRACK.
It was rather singular that neither Chardon.nor Blew had
thought of the Bradys after boarding the train. .
So that neither they nor Memphis Jake were conscious
of the fact that they were being watched.
“I say. Harry,” said the old detective, “ain’t that Bill
Chardon ? ”
“Sure it is, Governor,” replied Young King Brady.
“Rather queer that he should be on such intimate terms
with Smith.”
“And Smith is the manager of the Belden racing interests.”
“Exactly.”
“Smith seems to be exceedingly intimate with Chardon.
The other fellow is that young protligate Blew, is it riot?”
(‘Yes )1
“Hurhphl”
Old King Brady’s strong features assumed an inscrutable .
expression.
For a time the detectives were silent.
The conversation grew more earnest.
Then Old King Brady drew out his notebook.
“Let us see!” he said. “We may be able to deduce some-
thing from this. Here is Jake Smith, manager of the Bel-
den stable. in earnest collaboration with the two slippei-iest
chaps on the racetrack to-day.
“Amos Belden, his dead employer, would have viewed this
matter with suspicion. It looks as if the manager was in-
timate with a suspicious class of men.
“From this we might assume that he may know something
about the murder. That is one suspicion. Another is the
possibility of some racing job or other.”
- “That’s right,” agreed Harry. “It wouldn't surprise me
in the least.”
i<Har1.y!>i
“What ?”
“It ‘is a fact that we have no clue in the case.
g1‘?l.SDlY1,2‘ in the dark.”
“Yes )$
.
W e are
“‘No!w-,' it will do no harm to shadow these chaps.”
“Not in the least.”
“I:-' it agreed?”
“Yes.” -
“Do you think they have as yet spotted us?”
“I fear that they have. I think they saw us aboard the’
boat.”
“In that case we must b n rd. 1 h ‘(ya
that a disguise would workeugellgur gua ave an 1 a